Endowment Gifts

Endowment Gifts

Endowments are one of the many ways our alumni and friends give back to the LBJ School. The current minimum funding levels to establish an endowment at The University of Texas at Austin are:

Chair $2,000,000

Professorship $500,000

Faculty Fellowship $250,000

Endowed Presidential Graduate Fellowship $250,000

Graduate Fellowship $100,000

Endowed Excellence Fund $25,000

You can also contribute to an established endowment by selecting one from the Sub Department dropdown menu on the LBJ School’s page of the UT giving portal. Endowment giving options include the following:

Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values
This chair honors Barbara Jordan, former Congresswoman from Texas and beloved LBJ School faculty member, and commemorates her extraordinary contributions to education and civic discourse. By ensuring that future public servants have training in ethics, leadership and values-based decision-making, this chair helps to perpetuate Jordan’s important legacy.

Barbara Jordan Fund
The Barbara Jordan Fund was endowed to enhance educational and professional development opportunities for LBJ School students, including funding scholarships, internships, travel, publications and guest speakers.

Buck Breland Memorial Endowment (Class of 1997)
This endowment honors the memory of Buck Breland, a graduate of the LBJ School and healthcare advocate, and provides tuition assistance for master’s students with an interest in health policy.

Class of 1982 Fellowship Endowment
Upon discovering the need for student fellowship funding at the LBJ School, the class of 1982 mobilized and established a fellowship endowment to provide one-year in-state tuition fellowships and internship stipends to students in the Master of Public Affairs program.

Class of 1983 Fellowship Endowment
Inspired by the LBJ School class of 1982, the class of 1983 joined together and established a fellowship endowment in their class’s name. Funds distributed from the endowment provide fellowships to students in the Master of Public Affairs program or the Master of Global Policy Studies program.

Jen Duggan Endowed Graduate Fellowship
This fellowship endowment was established in memory of beloved LBJ School student Jen Duggan and provides tuition assistance to master’s degree candidates who are committed to public service. Emphasis is given to those pursuing the issues of inequality and its societal effects.

Jorge de la Rosa “Get Out the Vote” Memorial Fund
Established in 1992, income from the Jorge de la Rosa Memorial Fund is intended to support brown bag seminars, discussion groups, guest speakers and other events within the LBJ School of Public Affairs pertaining to the electoral process at the local, state and national levels. Born in Mexico in 1956, de la Rosa immigrated to the United States in 1978. In 1988, he was immensely proud to become a U.S. citizen. He passed away on Election Day in 1990. His last public act was to vote as a U.S. citizen.

Paul L. Leventhal Fellowship Program Endowment
An expert in nuclear proliferation issues, Paul Leventhal was founder of the Nuclear Control Institute in Washington. The LBJ School is pleased to house the Leventhal Fellowship to honor an individual who dedicated his career to advocating tirelessly for the protection of the United States and the world from the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the materials and technology used to make such weapons. Funds distributed from the endowment provide internship or apprenticeship stipends to students in the Master of Public Affairs program or Master in Global Policy Studies program.

RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community ServiceThe RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service prepares the next generation of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders through graduate education and research. The center was founded in January 2000 with an initial $5 million grant from the RGK Foundation.

Ricardo Gomez ’92 Endowed Fellowship
This fellowship was established in memory of Ricardo (“Rick”) Gomez, a 1992 graduate of the LBJ School. Rick began his public affairs career working for the City of Austin Auditor's Office while still a student at the LBJ School. After graduation, he moved to Washington, DC, to work for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.

Shama Gamkhar Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Public Affairs
Shama Gamkhar, Associate Professor of Public Affairs and long-time faculty member of the LBJ School of Public Affairs, tragically passed away in a plane crash, along with her husband Sid Shah, on August 4, 2013. Shama was a beloved colleague, devoted teacher and wonderful friend. As a fitting way to honor her legacy and memory, the School established an endowed graduate fellowship in Shama Gamkhar’s name.

Steven Lowell Spinner Internship Fund
This internship fund was established to commemorate Steve Spinner, a 1984 graduate of the LBJ School. Steve was devoted to developing a comprehensive system for employment and training and to fostering public-private partnerships in the area of workforce development. Income from this endowment is used to fund the required 12-week summer internship for a second-year student interested in workforce development policy.

T. Blodgett Endowment for Government Services in Urban Management and Finance
The Blodgett Endowment honors Terrell Blodgett, LBJ School Professor Emeritus with a life-long dedication to professional city management. The endowment funds second-year students who are interested in urban government management and finance. It also supports faculty research.

Walt and Elspeth Rostow Chair in National Security
This Chair honors Walt and Elspeth Rostow, visionaries who had the talent and dedication to propel others into action. Funds from this endowment are used to advance research and teaching in the areas of national security and international affairs.